Hokkaido Japan and Pinot Noir

A few nights ago my husband and I were watching our go to news station, NHK World and learned that Pinot Noir was being grown in Hokkaido, the northern most island in Japan. Since I associate Hokkaido with abundant snow and skiing opportunities, I found it difficult to wrap my head around the fact that Pinot Noir can be grown there. Pinot Noir has a reputation of being a fickle grape to grow, indeed Marq de Villiers wrote a book about it called The Heartbreak Grape.
The summers in Hokkaido can be humid and warm-to-hot. The soils are dark, soft and highly fertile. According to Hokkaido government data, there were 41 wineries in the region as of Dec. 1 2019, nearly triple the number in fiscal 2009. Surprisingly, there are hospitable pockets in Hokkaido that are uniquely well-suited to growing Vitis vinifera, Pinot Noir.
Here are two of the wineries producing Pinot Noir:
Domaine Takahiko:¹
Domaine Takahiko was founded by Takahiko Soga in in 2010. Wine has been a part of Takahiko's life since childhood.² His parents operate the Obuse Winery in Nagano and he went on to train as an oenologist and microbiologist at the Tokyo University of Agriculture. His love of wine took him to the Jura and Burgundy where after 10 years, he decided to establish his own farm dedicated to raising Pinot Noir in Yoichi, a 50 minute train ride from Sapporo. The reality of grape farming in Hokkaido means that Takahiko has to deal with the annual infection of Botrytis cinera. He does not use excessive amounts of fungicide but instead uses blowers to control the Botrytis. He also harvests the infected grapes separately and makes the Domaine Takahiko Nana Tsu Mori Blanc de Noir. The infected berries are pressed directly after harvest, and the juice ferments dry (or nearly dry) every year. The wine, rather than redolently aromatic and sweet, is deep and defined by its savory, umami notes.

Domaine De Montille Winery¹
Etienne de Montille comes from a family with a 300 year history of growing grapes in Burgundy, France. Facing the challenges of climate change in Burgundy where rising temperatures were leading to overripe grapes, de Monteille was looking for a new site to plant Pinot Noir.
Having tasted and been impressed by a wine from Hokkaido, de Montille went to Japan. In May 2019 de Montille first planted vine saplings at his vineyard in the southern Hokkaido city of Hakodate, a relatively snow-free area. Etienne's goal is not to mimic the Burgundian style but to create a Pinot Noir that is distinctly Japanese.

These pioneers in Pinot Noir grape growing in Hokkaido are very inspiring! It reminds me of the grape growers on Prince Edward County, Ontario. Where there is a will, there is a way! I can't wait to taste some Hokkaido Pinot Noir!
References:
1. Asai Rina and Kitai Genki, NHK World, Hokkaido Pinot Noir: A new frontier for Japanese wine, December 16, 2024.
2. José Pastor Selections, Domaine Takahiko & Takahiko Soga.
3. Kyodo News, Global warming brings Pinot Noir cultivation to Japan's north, December 31, 2019.